For
its part, the White House seems unwilling to touch [Lott], with
criticism or praise. "The man's got a difficult enough
job,"says one White House official. "We don't
want to make it more difficult" by passing judgment.
And yet the White House didn't hesitate to pass judgment on other
Lott behavior, most notably last month's quick-draw rebuke of
Clinton for lauching airstrikes against Iraq. The White
House was furious. And after a loud chorus of bipartisan
boos, Lott backtracked. His ego and standing were certainly
bruised by the episode, but he was perhaps more stung by reports
earlier in the month that he had given a speech to and had ties
to the Council of Conservative Citizens, a group that many liberals
and conservatives alike consider to be racist. He has since
renounced the group.